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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28472337">The Life and Times of an Ace Wizard</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissYingYangKay/pseuds/MissYingYangKay'>MissYingYangKay</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Case 3-1: Turnabout Memories, College Student Phoenix Wright, F/M, Gen, Kinda, Legal Drama, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Wizard Phoenix Wright</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 01:20:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,963</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28472337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissYingYangKay/pseuds/MissYingYangKay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"It seems Mia's client, Phoenix Wright, had his fair share of secrets. But what could this college student be hiding during a murder trial?"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ayasato Chihiro | Mia Fey &amp; Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Life and Times of an Ace Wizard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy New Year. :D</p><p>I'm writing this because no one's doing it and I want it to exist. :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <strong>April 11, 2001, 9:40 AM</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>District Court</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Defendant Lobby No. 3</strong>
</p><hr/><p>Mia's young client for this case was weirdly calm…</p><p>Not aloof, but just… not so concerned? He smiled easily at being addressed.</p><p>There was a slight strain sometimes upon mention of his <em>girlfriend</em>, however.</p><p>(This is why I'm here…)</p><p>Mia's interest in one Dahlia Hawthorne piqued further. Did she make her own boyfriend nervous somehow?</p><p>Phoenix Wright wore a turtleneck and jeans, all tame colors with the exception of the red scarf loose over his shoulders, and a small waist-pack to the side under a <em>garish</em> pink sweater tied around his waist. Like he had to carry it but couldn't bring himself to wear it…</p><p>He waited idly with his back to the wall until she approached him.</p><p>His idle posture was loose with the exception of his hands, which were a little tense and he fiddled with them and shoved them in his jeans' pockets.</p><p>He also seemed a little sleepless. "Good morning!" Mr. Wright waved at her.</p><p>"Ready, Mr. Wright?" Mia forced herself to smile back.</p><p>(There's no way the client should seem calmer than you here! He's the one on trial, not you!)</p><p>"Of course, Ms. Fey! I'll trust you with my case here."</p><p>Mia nodded along. "Thank you, you can leave it to me! If you are truly innocent, I promise I will save you!"</p><p>"Right…" Mr. Wright trailed off with an idle nod.</p><p>Mia blinked. "You <em>are</em> innocent, aren't you, Mr. Wright?" For a moment, she was concerned, faltering.</p><p>"Hm?" Mr. Wright focused on her again. "Oh, yeah, of course, I didn't do it!" He leaned closer for emphasis, before retreating back against the wall. "I'm just thinking, about, uh, Dollie…" He rubbed the back of his head.</p><p>Right, his <em>girlfriend? </em>It seems she concerned him, for some reason. "I see." But now the trial was about to start, and there was no time to question him further.</p><p>(Argh, if only I'd found out about this case earlier…! A few extra words with my client would have helped a lot more, it seems.)</p><p>…</p><p>Stepping out in court once again was nerve-wracking and she felt her hands shaking slightly, drumming along with her heart.</p><p>Prosecutor Payne was, unfortunately, an unpleasant man, but she couldn't let him get to her, she had to do this for the sake of her client, whom she <em>believed.</em></p><p>He was innocent, so she just had to prove it.</p><p>Then, Mr. Wright was called to the stand.</p><p>…</p><p>"My name's Phoenix Wright; my job– I mean, I'm uh, erm, a university student." Mr. Wright tilted his head, eyes wandering at the thought. He was bouncing on his feet slightly, hands still in his pockets.</p><p>"You understand you're being accused of murdering your fellow student, Doug Swallow, is that correct–?"</p><p>"Well, I didn't do it." Mr. Wright gave the Prosecution a look that was half pouty and half surly. Like the notion offended him.</p><p>(Of course it does! Any innocent man would feel offended when accused of being a murderer!)</p><p>Mr. Wright took the stand, and Mia waited anxiously.</p><p>"So, uhm, I don't know how to put this nicely, but Mr. Swallow was the one who called me there." Mr. Wright frowned as he began.</p><p>"I didn't really know him that well to begin with, actually. I guess I went because I was curious." He shrugged.</p><p>"I'm not sure what we talked about is of any importance here, so anyway, after talking, I left to take a walk, to think a little…" He nudged his chin in thought.</p><p>"Then a few minutes later, I thought I should talk to him again…? So, I went back that way, and that's when I saw the body. Hmm…" His eyes were then downcast.</p><p>Mia listened, nudging the lower half of her face. Mr. Wright was frowning throughout several portions of his testimony, but it seemed somewhat befuddled.</p><p>He didn't <em>look</em> like someone who was hiding anything.</p><p>The Prosecution didn't seem overly concerned, however, and now that it was time to Cross-Examine this, to confirm the veracity of her client, Payne's relatively calm idleness concerned <em>her.</em></p><p>She decided to zero in on each statement. If her client was truly innocent, then this should show the court a thing or two.</p><p>(Here we go…)</p><p>
  <em>So, uhm, I don't know how to put this nicely, but Mr. Swallow was the one who called me there.</em>
</p><p>"So, Mr. Swallow called you to him." Mia began. "When exactly was that?"</p><p>"2:45, I think? Pretty sure it was before 3. We were both on time."</p><p>"Both on time? Are you sure?"</p><p>"Of course, being late is rude!"</p><p>"Ah, I see…"</p><p>
  <em>I didn't really know him that well to begin with, actually. I guess I went because I was curious.</em>
</p><p>"You didn't know him, at all? Never met in passing, or heard of him?"</p><p>"Oh, I've heard from Dollie, since they used to date."</p><p>Payne interjected smugly. "So then, did you have a <em>problem</em> with Mr. Swallow?"</p><p>"Not really. What bothered me the most about him was his fake British accent, to be honest, and that was only when we talked there."</p><p>The judge piped in suddenly. "Oh ho, I assume the Defendant didn't kill Mr. Swallow over something so trivial?"</p><p>Mr. Wright gave him an affronted look. "Of course not! I didn't kill him at all! I just have British friends who would have winced at that accent."</p><p>"Hm, I see, I do have some British friends too…"</p><p>"Moving on, Your Honor." Mia interrupted, seeing Payne looking at his watch.</p><p>"Right, of course. Let's continue."</p><p>
  <em>I'm not sure what we talked about is of any importance here, so anyway, after talking, I left to take a walk, to think a little…</em>
</p><p>"Objection!" Payne interrupted suddenly. "Mr. Wright, I'd say that the topic of Mr. Swallow's <em>last</em> discussion in life was definitely important. Unless it implicates you somehow? Hmm?"</p><p>"O-Objection!" Mia slammed her hands on the stand. "It might have simply been a personal matter! There's no concrete reason why Mr. Wright should share it!"</p><p>"Hmm, I disagree." The judge hummed. "Overruled. Defendant, share what the discussion was about, if you please?"</p><p>"Aah," Mr. Wright rubbed the back of his head. "well, it was about Dollie…"</p><p>"Dollie?" The judge blinked in surprise.</p><p>"Yeah, my, uh, girlfriend, I guess…"</p><p>Payne raised an eyebrow. "You guess?" He scoffed. "Youth these days. None of you know the meaning of true romance!"</p><p>(And what the heck would you know, Payne?!)</p><p>"I'll say!" The judge agreed with a mournful chuckle.</p><p>"Well, it's complicated…!" Mr. Wright sputtered.</p><p>"And?" Payne urged impatiently. "What exactly were you two discussing about?"</p><p>"Well…" Mr. Wright relented, gripping his scarf. "He told me a few things about <em>Dollie</em> that made me rethink our relationship… Which is why I left, I needed to think…"</p><p>
  <em>Then a few minutes later, I thought I should talk to him again…? So, I went back that way, and that's when I saw the body. Hmm…</em>
</p><p>Mia recovered from the previous rebuttal of her objection, choosing to continue before the Prosecution could interrupt again. "So, when you left, Mr. Swallow was still okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, he seemed happy I was considering his words."</p><p>"Objection!" Payne interrupted, which made Mia cringe. "You still weren't very precise on what you two discussed. What was so pressing that you had to leave so suddenly, hm?"</p><p>"I already told you…" Mr. Wright began, not looking anyone in the eye, fiddling with his scarf.</p><p>"No, you didn't." Payne smirked, patting his topee. "What did the victim tell you that <em>upset</em> you so badly?"</p><p>(Oh, no, he's painting a bad picture before Mr. Wright even said what it was about!)</p><p>Mr. Wright's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't upset at him. I was upset at Dollie."</p><p>"Yet, you <em>continue</em> to withhold this information from the court, hee hee hee."</p><p>Mia put her hands down on the counter, loudly, making her client twitch. "Mr. Wright, please! If you are truly innocent, then there's nothing to fear. Tell us what it was about so I can defend you!"</p><p><em>Please, trust me,</em> she meant.</p><p>Mr. Wright's head lowered as he hesitated.</p><p>(Mr. Wright…! What are you hiding?) Mia was starting to lose confidence in her client…</p><p>"Hee hee hee," Payne's annoying chuckle sounded. "Your Honor, members of the court, perhaps I can <em>illuminate</em> the reason why the Defendant refuses to share the truth of his altercation with the victim."</p><p>"Huh?" Mia frowned. "What's that?"</p><p>"Here, this picture!" Payne pulled up a picture from his bench, waving it rather victoriously. "Perhaps the Defense can tell me what this is?"</p><p>He showed her the picture, and Mia blinked in confused surprise. It was a picture of "Mr. Swallow's hand…? What's…"</p><p>What was he holding? A bottle of some sort? It wasn't clear glass, it was a little ornate and purple.</p><p>And Payne turned, showing the picture to Mr. Wright in passing. "Recognize this, Mr. Wright?"</p><p>And much to Mia's shock, Mr. Wright saw it and backed away wide-eyed, sweating bullets. "Wha– that's…!" One of his hands was shoved into his pocket, the other covering his mouth.</p><p>(What was that?!)</p><p>Payne smirked even more and took it to the judge. "This here is a bottle that Mr. Swallow was holding when he died, Your Honor."</p><p>"A bottle? It's tiny!" The judge hummed. "It looks like a… a perfume bottle? I feel like my wife had this when we were in high school…"</p><p>(How long ago was that?!)</p><p>"It may seem so, Your Honor, however, forensic tests show us a few interesting things about this strange little bottle." Payne left the picture at the table at the center of the court, as evidence. "First, it has the Defendant's prints all over it."</p><p>Mia watched Mr. Wright, seeing him gulping.</p><p>(Oh, no, I can't believe this…)</p><p>"The second thing, however, was the <em>most</em> interesting. The bottle, Your Honor, contained liquid poison!"</p><p>"Poison?!" The judge sputtered.</p><p>(Am I defending a criminal?! Oh, no…) Mia felt her spirit leaving her.</p><p>"Wait." Mr. Wright's voice interrupted her, and everyone. She looked and saw him looking… profoundly <em>confused</em>. "What? Poison?" He raised an eyebrow in befuddled disbelief. "How is it <em>poison?" </em>He questioned the Prosecution rather sharply.</p><p>(Huh…?)</p><p>Payne returned a milder version of this befuddled look. "Huh? Shouldn't <em>you</em> know that?" He smirked.</p><p>Mr. Wright gave him an affronted look. "N-No! It's not poison! O-Or at least it <em>shouldn't</em> be!"</p><p>Mia took this opportunity to jump in, trying to find a reason to keep going despite her mounting doubts. "T-Then, Mr. Wright, if it wasn't poison, then what was it supposed to be?!"</p><p>"Huh?" Mr. Wright looked caught by surprise for a moment. "Uhm, that, uh, well, it's…" His eyes darted around.</p><p>(Oh, please, no.)</p><p>Payne scoffed. "Please, don't lie, Defendant. You've been caught in the act–"</p><p>"It's tea!" Mr. Wright shouted suddenly.</p><p>"…"</p><p>"…"</p><p>"…"</p><p>"…Tea?" Mia muttered, giving him a skeptical look.</p><p>"Yes! Tea." Mr. Wright nodded. "Got it in Britain."</p><p>"…"</p><p>"…"</p><p>"…"</p><p>Payne cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Defendant, but I can't quite bring myself to believe that."</p><p>"But it's true!" Mr. Wright insisted.</p><p>Payne scoffed in derision. "Really? And what kind of <em>tea</em> is sold in this specific bottle?"</p><p>"W-Well, it's uh, it's a <em>special</em> tea! It's to… to help me sleep."</p><p>"…Sleep." Payne droned.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"…" The judge stared.</p><p>"…" The court was silent again.</p><p>"Uh-huh. Why not take sleeping pills? What does <em>tea</em> do that <em>real</em> medicine can't?" The Prosecution challenged.</p><p>"I don't like drugs. Any of them…" Mr. Wright said, a little sheepishly. "The tea is, uh, a <em>placebo, </em>really. It works for me…" He shrugged, awkwardly.</p><p>"…"</p><p>"So, you have sleep problems, Mr. Wright?" The judge asked, almost as if trying to break the ice.</p><p>"Uh, yeah, kinda, sometimes."</p><p>Payne smirked. "No doubt to cope with his own homicidal thoughts, Your Honor."</p><p>Mr. Wright gasped, brows furrowing in offended anger. "What–?!"</p><p>"Objection!" Mia found herself shouting. "The Prosecution is smearing my client's character with conjecture!"</p><p>"Yeah, that!" Mr. Wright agreed pointlessly. "I don't like death!"</p><p>Payne returned to looking smug again. "Well, nobody does, Mr. Wright, that's why you're here."</p><p>"Mr. Wright! I have a question!" Mia interrupted.</p><p>It made her client twitch. "Yeah?"</p><p>"When was the last time you saw this bottle?"</p><p>"Ah, that was a few days ago, like a day before the murder; it disappeared from my room." This time, Mr. Wright answered immediately and with certainty.</p><p>Mia could see that when he was caught by surprise, he stuttered a lot more. This here, he knew very well.</p><p>(So, he <em>lost</em> the bottle!)</p><p>Mia battered her hands against the stand, calling attention to her. "Your honor, the Defense now affirms that Mr. Wright didn't know about the poison! The bottle was stolen!"</p><p>(This was the <em>only</em> way he could be innocent! If the bottle was stolen and filled with poison after the fact. That only left the main suspect here… This <em>had</em> to be it!)</p><p>"Huh, so you say. How convenient." Payne interjected easily.</p><p>"Yeah? Can you prove it <em>wasn't</em> stolen?!"</p><p>"I object to that, Your Honor." He pointed at her, turning to the judge. "The <em>Defense</em> should be proving that."</p><p>Mia gave the Prosecution a look of scathing annoyance, crossing her arms.</p><p>The judge hummed in thought. "It seems we're at an impasse."</p><p>(Yes, we are. Now is the time for the Prosecution to make its final move. The one I was waiting for…!)</p><p>"But one question has been bothering me, actually." The judge stated.</p><p>"Yes, Your Honor?" Payne asked.</p><p>"Did the victim die of <em>poisoning,</em> Mr. Payne?" The judge gave the Prosecution a pointed look of confusion.</p><p>"Erhm… No, no, Your Honor…"</p><p>Mia blinked. Right! Why, they went down the rabbit role like water and she forgot about the main point! "Exactly, Your Honor! The victim died of electrocution!"</p><p>"Yes, so… why was the poison there?" The judge wondered.</p><p>"Er, Your Honor," Payne began. "if I may speculate on that for a moment?"</p><p>"Ah, yes, go ahead."</p><p>"The Prosecution will assume now that the Defendant <em>intended</em> to poison the victim. He gave the victim the bottle. However, an even better opportunity arose at that moment. I direct the court's attention to this picture."</p><p>He showed the first photo of the crime.</p><p>"As you can see, the snapped <em>electrical</em> cables behind the victim! <em>That's</em> how the Defendant killed the victim." Payne smirked.</p><p>"OBJECTION!" Mia shouted. "That is all speculation, Your Honor!" Literally! Payne just imagined a whole scenario in his head right there!</p><p>"Yes, that's what I said I'd do, rookie, hee hee."</p><p>"Objection overruled." The judge stated mildly. "I'm rather curious. Continue, Mr. Payne."</p><p>(Damn!)</p><p>"As you wish. So, this is what happened, Your Honor: although the Defendant <em>planned</em> to poison the victim with this 'special tea', he saw another opportunity with those cables, and thus, he pushed the victim to his death and then left. However!" Payne smirked, patting his obnoxious topee. "After a few minutes, the Defendant realized that he <em>forgot</em> he'd given <em>poison</em> to the victim, and he returned to retrieve it, only to see that the body had been found already!"</p><p>"Objection!" Mia shouted once again. "If that is the case, then, can you tell me if there were any prints on Mr. Swallow's jacket?!"</p><p>"Gurk…!" Payne held back a gasp, grimacing.</p><p>(Yes, I got him! Even the judge seems to agree with my question!)</p><p>However, Payne sighed. "Oh, well. I suppose it was foolish to think I could establish guilt on cross-examination alone."</p><p>"Hm? I don't understand." The judge said, blinking.</p><p>Mia relaxed, standing straight and keeping her face neutral. "Let me guess. You have another witness."</p><p>(Yes! This is it. This is what I wanted…!)</p><p>And he did.</p><p>Miss <em>Dahlia Hawthorne.</em></p><p>Mia narrowed her eyes as her name was finally called.</p><p>Despite her triumph at her own victory, she glanced at Mr. Wright… He looked thoughtful at the mention of his girlfriend.</p><p>That reminds her… <em>They still didn't know what Mr. Swallow told him about Ms. Hawthorne. Mr. Wright had somehow danced around it enough that it slipped by them…</em></p><p>She hoped it wouldn't come back to haunt her in this case.</p><p>Even more so when she wasn't sure which side Mr. Wright would be on once Mia <em>finally</em> got her prize.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>July, 1991, 7:30 AM</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>The Wright Residence</strong>
</p><hr/><p>The birds chirped around a small suburban Californian home.</p><p>Inside, young Phoenix raised an eyebrow at the odd-looking letter, turning it over in his hand.</p><p>It was a little parchment (?) letter with the rest of the mail. Yellowed out and odd, with a big red seal. Out of place when clumped together with the usual mail.</p><p>It's addressed to his house. Actually, it was to him, specifically.</p><p>Huh.</p><p>It's been two years since his best friend suddenly moved away, so for a second, he hoped it was from Miles.</p><p>It wasn't.</p><p>Phoenix sighed and carried it back to the kitchen with the rest of the mail. It wasn't a big house, and he could hear his mom <em>(Amy Wright), </em>and the clinking of plates as she readied the table for breakfast.</p><p>His dad <em>(Felix Wright), </em>was flipping through the newspaper, already dressed and suited-up to leave for work.</p><p>The smell of bacon and eggs and juice wafted through the air.</p><p>"I got a letter, mom." Phoenix said casually, leaving the bunch on the corner of the table and taking his seat. He was too hungry to read.</p><p>His mom stopped and didn't look at him, although her head lifted. She heard him.</p><p>His dad blinked and turned to him. "Hm? Letter?"</p><p>"Yeah, here!" Phoenix pointed at the bunch. "The old-looking one." He busied himself with bacon, watching his dad picking up the letter.</p><p>Only for his mom to turn and snatch it from him.</p><p>"Hey!" His dad flinched at the suddenness.</p><p>Mom looked at the letter and turned away from them, then turned to Dad with a wide-eyed, wild look, gesturing sharply for him to talk somewhere else.</p><p>Phoenix watched them walk away, still chewing bacon. They were talking in rushed tones.</p><p>(What's the big deal? Is it bad news? Some kind of weird scam?)</p><p>They talked all hush-hush, faces turned away from him, it almost seemed to turn into an argument. His mom wasn't happy.</p><p>They continued to argue in that tone of secrecy, and Phoenix tried to at least finish his breakfast.</p><p>When they returned, his glass of orange juice was mostly empty. His mom sighed, brows furrowed as she looked anywhere else, and handed him the letter. "I was hoping this wouldn't happen, but… there's something I need to show you, Nicky."</p><p>His dad was looking awkward, standing a foot behind his mom as if he didn't quite know where to stand.</p><p>Phoenix tilted his head, and he shrugged and followed his mom to his parents' room.</p><p>While she dug for something inside the closet, Phoenix looked at the letter again.</p><p>(Yup, that's my name and address there.)</p><p>Dad sat on the bed, fiddling with his hand, and then his mom returned with a box. It was the size of a shoe-box.</p><p>From it, she took a photo, which she handed to him. Or it <em>seemed</em> so at first, but he quickly realized it was more than a simple photo. It was <em>moving!</em></p><p>Like a tiny, very thin screen, right in his hands! "Wow…!"</p><p>It showed his mom, much younger, she was holding a strange broom and standing with a lady who looked like her, just a little older, and both were wearing long robes, standing and smiling a little stiffly.</p><p>
  <em>(What his mother proceeded to tell him then changed his life.<br/>His childhood so far has been very much normal. They live in a fairly<br/>calm neighborhood, with fairly simple people.<br/>Stress was rather rare…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It's a big shock for a pretty normal kid to hear of magic being real, and<br/>further, about his own mother being a literal witch… Not the ugly,<br/>classic TV witch, but… just his mom,<br/>who could apparently do real magic with a wand and all.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And she was telling him that he inherited that power,<br/>and the proof was that little letter…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And the girl in the picture? That was his aunt,<br/>his mom's older sister, Amelia, who he never met.<br/>She lived in Britain, well within the magic side of the world.)</em>
</p><p>Phoenix spent most of the rest of his week in a bit of a daze.</p><p>So. His mom was a <em>witch</em> now. She even had a wand, which she showed him.</p><p>(What's with that dead-eyed look? Does she hate it? Is magic a bad thing…?)</p><p>But not his dad, it seems. He was just 'normal', he says.</p><p>His parents were concerned with something they weren't telling him about, but he knew it had something to do with this whole magic thing, and the letter.</p><p>It said:</p><p>HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY</p><p>Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore<br/>Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,<br/>Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards</p><p>(What's with all these new words and/or names?! They sound both fancy and clumsy at the same time…)</p><p>The main letter follows that with:</p><p>
  <em>Dear Mr. Wright,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yours sincerely,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Minerva McGonagall<br/>Deputy Headmistress</em>
</p><p>(It sounds like whoever wrote it just assumed the receiver would know exactly what this was all about, and not question the writer's sanity…)</p><p>"Well, see, Nicky…" His mom told him during dinner. "normally, magical kids tend to have <em>accidents</em> with magic. However, as far as I see it, you've had always been… somewhat magically temperate. If accidental magic ever happened, we didn't notice it, and maybe neither did you…"</p><p>(If it did, I sure never noticed, just as Mom says…)</p><p>She was a little listless, as if debating something internally the whole time and not quite saying anything about it to him.</p><p>Whatever it was, his dad seemed aware of it.</p><p>"The thing is, son," His dad told him in a low-tone as he tucked him into bed. "your mom used to live in the UK, and she, uuuh… she didn't leave on good terms, let's say. It seems the school knows she has a son, <em>magically… </em>but doesn't seem aware that she's no longer affiliated with that… area. She's just trying to decide what to do."</p><p>Phoenix pulled the covers to his chin. "So, it's a magic school, in the UK…? How…" Well, his question was <em>how was he supposed to get there? Magic–?</em></p><p>(Oh. Duh…)</p><p>"But if she doesn't want me to go there, then how am I supposed to learn magic?" Phoenix switched his question.</p><p>"She said there were other schools, here in America too. There's one in, uh, Massachusetts, I think?"</p><p>"Massachusetts…" He tried not to grimace.</p><p>(Isn't that place a whole lot of icy popsicles everywhere…? I'm so not looking forward to <em>that,</em> I'm a South Cali kid…! Ice isn't my thing!</p><p>Oh, the UK was icy too. Ugh, no escape…)</p><p>"So… Mom's not letting me go to the school that <em>invited</em> me, because…"</p><p>"Because of things from the past, nothing you need to know about now, but don't worry, kiddo, she'll sort it out and you'll be fine either way."</p><p>Phoenix was left alone in the dark with that thought stuck in his head. But he relented. His mom probably knew what she was doing there, no…? She'd take care of whatever the problem was…</p><p>This was uncharted territory and he didn't know anything at all about it. Better leave it to her.</p><p>But it was a <em>boarding</em> school either way, though…</p><p>If he went to any magic school to learn <em>magic</em>, then… Well, that <em>was</em> exciting, so much so he couldn't even believe it! What would he learn to do? Turn people into frogs? Make things fly? Have his homework write itself? Have sweets appear from nothing? Oh, could he actually fly?!</p><p>But while that made him jittery with excitement, there's still the sobering fact that if he went, he would be leaving <em>Larry</em> alone, wouldn't he?</p><p>Phoenix sighed with a sniff. He wiped the tears in a hurry and buried himself beneath the thin covers.</p><p>(…)</p><p>(……)</p><p>(………I don't want to leave too…)</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>April 11, 2001, 11:02 AM</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>District Court</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Defendant Lobby No. 3</strong>
</p><hr/><p>(How did that potion bottle end up there…?)</p><p>Phoenix no doubt had a thousand-yard stare as he focused on his thoughts. He couldn't really help it, though, it was too much for him to ignore.</p><p>…It was a Dreamless Sleep potion.</p><p>After the events 4 years before, he found himself needing it pretty often… Although, not as much as back then, these days things were better.</p><p>He could brew it on his own, and he always used the same bottle whenever he did. Although, he didn't think anyone would ever want to <em>steal</em> it… It wasn't left at a particularly visible place in his dormitory, and it wasn't that pretty-looking.</p><p>It was inside the nightstand. Unlike any other potion he happened to brew, like the one he got for his cold the day before, he only kept <em>that</em> one there, and he couldn't remember if he'd ever unwittingly shown that to… 'Dollie', who was often in the room these past few months.</p><p>Dahlia, that is.</p><p>(I'm <em>really</em> hoping no MACUSA agent will come knocking due to my carelessness… Not finding it in his room on the 10th was nerve-wracking enough and the last thing he needed was <em>another</em> 'No-maj Vigilance' class…)</p><p>And it's not that the Prosecutor was even right on that matter, he wasn't withholding things because of the bottle. He didn't know the bottle was <em>there</em> until he saw that picture.</p><p>Which led him to the main issue…</p><p>Dahlia was no witch; he's determined that months ago.</p><p>But the invasive <em>charm </em>that caught him unaware that day in the court library bewitched his mind well enough that he was doubtful for a while.</p><p>It reminded him of Fleur Delacour, who was <em>part</em> <em>Veela</em>. It was a similar feeling, but not as strong.</p><p>Maybe Dahlia was a wizardborn with some Veela heritage that was <em>just</em> strong enough to bewitch any No-maj, but not enough to hold him when he resisted too much. He's dealt with the Imperious in class once, he knew how to break free from that sort of thing…</p><p>But if so, if she was truly clueless about magic and had no idea what that bottle was… why would she steal it?</p><p>What about the poison?</p><p>Was it related to what Swallow told him? That she stole things from his lab?</p><p>If she stole poison ingredients and then put them in a bottle he had a habit of drinking from… then…</p><p>…Was Dahlia trying to <em>poison him?</em>  Why…?</p><p>Phoenix <em>almost</em> felt tempted to grab himself a Bezoar and drink that poison right in front of her, just to see how she'd react.</p><p>He could add the poison remnants of the necklace she gave him too, for good measure.</p><p>(Now <em>that</em> would be <em>funny</em>, huh?)</p><p>That was back when he was wondering about whether she was a witch or not… He tested the last little residue inside the glass container with a potion made to detect curses and poisons of any kind.</p><p>He knew there was something <em>fishy</em> about that bottle… Imagine his shock when he got a confirmation there…</p><p>It's why he began feeling the need to carry Bezoar around, just in case.</p><p>
  <em>Along with an assortment of other things in a waist pack with an Extension Charm…</em>
</p><p>(Why this Charm has to make me feel like such a hoarder…?)</p><p>
  <em>The exception being his wand in an equally charmed jeans' pocket, where it was easy to keep and reach for.</em>
</p><p>So, this girl showed up suddenly, bewitched him, gave him a bottle with poison residue as 'proof of their love' and then stuck by him like a real girlfriend.</p><p>His friends across the pond would have a <em>field</em> <em>day</em> with this madness…</p><p>Admittedly, Phoenix was curious. About her, about her motives… <em>Part of him hoped she was sincere about liking him, despite her initial shady reason for approaching him…</em></p><p>
  <em>But that was probably too much to ask, no?</em>
</p><p>His bad luck wasn't <em>nearly</em> as legendary as <em>Harry's</em>, but it was still bad enough for him to doubt this whole chain of events.</p><p>And yet, he <em>really</em> felt like he had to wait it out. Maybe she'd <em>eventually</em> come clean…</p><p><em>Wouldn't it be nice…? Maybe it'd be the start of something real…? </em>He sighed longingly at the thought.</p><p>It's why he kept the bottle even though she kept asking to have it back.</p><p>
  <em>Nope. He won't return it until she was honest with him.</em>
</p><p>Was <em>that </em>the issue? No more patience? Did he push her too much? She seemed so sincere this whole time… Was he that unbearable as a boyfriend?</p><p>That reminds him of the last time she insisted a little more about it…</p><p>
  <strong>…</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"I don't know why you keep asking for me to return this, Dollie." Phoenix sighed from his room's desk, leaning his cheek on his palm.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dollie blinked from where she sat on his bed, her shoulders dipping in disappointment, giving him the puppy-eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Funny how a love potion antidote works wonders against a Veela's bewitching effect. Too bad brewing it and watching it change from each rainbow color until it was transparent so many times was painfully tedious…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I mean," He pulled up the necklace, dangling it from one finger, seeing her eyes glimmer at the sight of it. "you gave it to me as a 'symbol of our love'. The only reason I'd ever hand it over would be if that <strong>wasn't</strong> the case, right?" He mused theatrically. "But our love <strong>is</strong> real, we met by fate and no <strong>other</strong> reason, so I'm keeping this keepsake!" He grinned, unabashed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Feenie…" She whined quietly.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He was hoping she'd be honest. She'd finally relent and tell him the truth, and then they could start from zero.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But she only sighed and returned to 'normal' again.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>…</strong>
</p><p>Phoenix frowned at the memory… That's no reason to <em>kill</em> him, honestly…</p><p>(What was that girl thinking…?!)</p><p>The fact that his potion was found in the hands of a dead man was really the biggest giveaway, though.</p><p>Now he kind of knew what was going on.</p><p>He wanted to pretend it didn't hurt.</p><p>Thus, here he is.</p><p>With Miss Mia Fey asking him about his relationship with Dahlia.</p><p>Why?</p><p>Maybe she suspected her as much as he did.</p><p>Ah, yep, a small peek into her mind revealed as much.</p><p>(Stop reading people's minds?! It's invasive! Ugh, talk about a bad habit…)</p><p>But maybe he should have tried looking into Dahlia's head a bit, and he probably would have done so if she'd look him in the eye for more than a second or if her charm wasn't constantly trying to ensnare him… He wasn't <em>that</em> good a Legillimens…</p><p>"Well, she gave me this little thing, as a symbol of our love…" Phoenix said, taking the necklace from his waist pack to show her. "It was weirdly cute, I admit." He rubbed the back of his head, looking awkwardly bashful.</p><p>'Weirdly cute' wasn't something he thought at the time, of course. He was head-over-heels, against his will.</p><p>"Um, anyway," Ms. Fey moved right along. "after that, you two started dating?"</p><p>"It seems so. Although…"</p><p>"Although?"</p><p>"Well, she always asks me to return the necklace every time we meet." He turned it over in his hand, giving him another scrutinizing look as if it'd reward him with further clues. "I play dumb, because I want her to be a little more honest with me."</p><p>Ms. Fey raised an eyebrow. "You think she was lying when she gave you that bottle necklace?"</p><p>"Probably." He shrugged. "I just wish I could know why. But now it's been 8 months and I <em>still</em> got nothing."</p><p>Ms. Fey hummed. "By the way, Mr. Wright," She began, eyes narrowing at something past him. "the day you met Dahlia Hawthorne, 8 months ago… It wouldn't happen to have been on the August 27th, would it?"</p><p>Her tone was grave and tense. Phoenix blinked. She sounded serious… "Yeah, actually. Did something happen that day?" He had such a bad feeling about this one…</p><p>Maybe it was the final clue that would piece everything together in his mind.</p><p>Ms. Fey drew a newspaper clipping from inside her suit, handing it to him. "This happened on August 27th, right here in this courthouse."</p><p>Reading it, his brows shot up. "Murder in the courthouse…?" This had to be it… It was ringing so many alarm bells in his head. Then… "Ah. I see. You think the two are connected?"</p><p>He <em>understood.</em> It clicked, like things eventually did over the years whenever he was faced with mysteries and scarce evidence.</p><p>As was usually the case throughout his <em>school</em> <em>years</em>.</p><p>Ms. Fey blinked. "I… Yes. I think so." She frowned skeptically at him. "You believe me? Just like that?"</p><p>Phoenix remembered that she was a No-maj, and he laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head to ease the stress. "W-Well, my friends always joke that I have some kind of precog talent! Ahaha! I guess I just got good instincts for this stuff!"</p><p>Actually, it was more of a <em>Seer</em> thing.</p><p>Ms. Fey was starting to grow a little suspicious, unfortunately. Her eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you, Mr. Wright?" Her tone was sharp behind a veneer of neutrality.</p><p>Phoenix sighed. "No, not really." He rubbed his arm. "Well, I guess I'm just piecing things together, and… can I guess, to check if my intuition is correct?"</p><p>Ms. Fey watched him for a moment, then relaxed marginally. "Go ahead, then."</p><p>"So… was the victim in this case here <em>poisoned?" </em>He pointed to the paper, brows tilting upwards as his voice rose in pitch, showing his doubt.</p><p>He was a little more certain than he sounded, due to years of experience with this… talent of his.</p><p>Her eyes widened. "Yes… Why did you guess that?"</p><p>"Well, I just followed the pattern." Phoenix shrugged, face downcast. "I guess 'Dollie' <em>was</em> trying to poison me after all, it's her Mode Operandi, no? It's just hard to realize that, you know?" He handed the clipping back to her with a sigh.</p><p>(Wow, how sad, my girlfriend is a murderer…)</p><p>Ms. Fey took it, eyes softening. "Mr. Wright…"</p><p>"No pity, please…" He sighed, and he held the bottle necklace close, frowning at it. "So, there was poison inside this thing, right?" He already knew that, but he couldn't really explain to her how he knew.</p><p>"Huh? How are you s–"</p><p>"Well, I mean… isn't it obvious?" Phoenix amended quickly, feeling cold sweat on his face. "If the victim was poisoned, and in the same day and place the suspect hands me a <em>bottle</em>, and now another bottle with poison shows up in a different case, I'm uh, just assuming, really. It makes sense, no?"</p><p>It did, right?</p><p>He wasn't all that sure, because there was always an element of magic involved, which wasn't <em>evidence</em> for No-majes.</p><p>Sometimes he was a few <em>illogical</em> steps ahead without realizing that his conclusion made no sense to <em>normal</em> people… even though he <em>was</em> right in the end.</p><p>Even wizards were a bit lost along the way sometimes.</p><p>Ms. Fey stared at him, blinking. Then she smiled. "You'd make a great attorney, don't you think, Mr. Wright?"</p><p>"Oh," Phoenix jumped at the compliment, then grinned sheepishly. "uh, actually, I <em>am</em> studying Law right now, on the side… which was why I was at the library that day, funny that."</p><p>Har, har, Fate sure liked to play with him…</p><p>"Huh, really?" She smiled back. "I imagine you'd have a great future there, should you actually pursue this career path."</p><p>"Yeah, well, I was only <em>tentatively</em> looking it up…"</p><p>Then, someone arrived, a nervous-looking man with a wide waist and in a red suit. Mia spotted him and told Phoenix to wait, quickly walking up to the man who handed her a thin vanilla packet as they exchanged hushed words.</p><p>Phoenix turned away and focused on his own thoughts, waiting like he was told to.</p><p>Now, No-maj Law was a bit different compared to Magical Law. So, he felt the need to <em>check</em> before making any decisions…</p><p>He had just found something shocking in the newspaper, and he was trying to figure out what to do…</p><p>What he'd do from now on, what path he'd take here in the No-maj world…?</p><p>He already had a place in the Wizarding world. His job prospects were great and he was sure his future was secure there.</p><p>His Arts degree was just an easy path to secure a simple, <em>safe</em> route to keep his presence in the No-maj world secured and stable without drawing any suspicion due to his absence. This way, he could remain close to his parents and hold on to his No-maj upbringing, which he didn't want to forget, much less let go of.</p><p>But going into No-maj Law School…? That's a whole 'nother path there…</p><p>Ah… Who was he kidding?</p><p>He kind of decided it already, even if his 'dual-citizenship' on both No-maj and wizarding communities made him doubtful.</p><p>
  <em>Dark Suspicions of a Demon Attorney… Miles Edgeworth.</em>
</p><p>Finally, after <em>all</em> those years… Phoenix finally <em>found</em> him.</p><p>There's no way he'd leave that be and move on, not after this long. Thus, he couldn't let himself be arrested here.</p><p>From here on, he could more or less deduce 'Dollie's' plan, considering the pieces available to her. <em>If her goal was truly to kill him, and if failing that, get him convicted… then…</em></p><p>He sighed. (It's fine. I'll figure something out. I've done that sort of improvising before, and my magic's <em>quite</em> adept at steering me in the right direction. I have nothing to worry about. Usually.)</p><p>Even though she didn't tell him the truth, even though he still <em>wanted</em> the truth straight from her, <em>this</em> here was more important. Not just his goal of finding his childhood friend and knocking some sense into him, but also his good position in the No-maj world.</p><p>If he was convicted, he'd have to run and leave it <em>all</em> behind.</p><p>Phoenix couldn't have that. If necessary, he <em>would</em> throw Dahlia under the bus.</p><p>And maybe he knew just how to trap her, he thought, glancing at his pack, peeking under the sweater.</p><p>There's no way he'd let her ruin <em>everything</em> he worked so hard for all these years.</p><hr/><p>…</p><p>Mia got the autopsy report she'd asked for.</p><p>Although she had insisted on doing this alone, like she had to do if she ever wanted to get over her trauma, she asked for a single favor from her boss.</p><p>She knew from the start that Dahlia Hawthorne was a witness and would likely testify, and thus she wanted to be ready.</p><p>So here it was, she had the final piece of that puzzle, and for better or for worse, she'd give it her all.</p><p>Now…</p><p>There was Mia's young client for this case, who was a bit of a weird guy, it seemed. She was glad he was on her side, at least. She was afraid that with him being that girl's girlfriend, he'd act unreasonable, but…</p><p>So far, he's been surprisingly insightful.</p><p>At first, he seemed unaware, judging by his calm demeanor, like he didn't quite understand how much trouble he got himself in.</p><p>Not to mention the few moments of panic he caused her by not being completely trustworthy with his testimony.</p><p>(He still hasn't told us what he and Swallow talked about it. How does he keep dodging it every single time?)</p><p>She was honest when she said his deductive instincts were incredible, though. He came to an incredibly likely conclusion from just a few pieces of evidence given to him.</p><p>He <em>could</em> be an unbelievably sharp defense attorney one day.</p><p>(He said he was looking to study Law, didn't he? I hope he's not intending to become a Prosecutor… With experience, that sharpness would be deadly!)</p><p>"By the way, Ms. Fey, I have a quick question before we head back." Mr. Wright asked just as they were by the door.</p><p>"Yes?" Mia blinked at the sudden seriousness.</p><p>"That bottle? That they found in Swallow's hand?" Mr. Wright nudged his chin in thought. "Was that <em>really</em> poison…?"</p><p>Mia raised an eyebrow. "It seems so, the police had it checked."</p><p>"Hmm…" Mr. Wright seemed to think a little more. "I dunno. Something doesn't feel right with that. I'm not sure it's <em>real</em> poison or anything truly deadly…" He glanced away from her.</p><p>"What?" Mia tilted her head in confusion. "H-How can you say that?"</p><p>"Dunno." Mr. Wright smiled and shrugged in an entirely unhelpful manner. "Just a feeling."</p><p>(A feeling? That's not evidence…! What in the world is he talking about?)</p><p>He walked into the courtroom ahead of her, and Mia went after, still confused.</p><p>The bottle <em>didn't</em> contain poison?</p><p>But why would the police be wrong? How could he know? How could he say that with such levity? What was he <em>thinking…? Now she was full of doubts!</em></p><p>As she thought, Mr. Wright was weirder than she expected… and maybe it wasn't so helpful.</p><p>But what if he was right? What did he know that he wasn't telling her? <em>Why</em> wasn't he telling her?!</p><p>(Insightful, but not very helpful, that's what he is! Ugh.)</p><p>This really wasn't good…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was going to continue this, but I seem to have gotten bogged down with other things and my other fic. I guess I'll leave this to the future.</p><p>For now, I'll leave it as a one-shot. :/</p></blockquote></div></div>
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